Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes that Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will pip Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts.
Haaland switched to the Premier League this summer after Manchester City paid a transfer fee of £51.2million to Borussia Dortmund (BBC). The start has not been bright for the attacker, with his horror miss in the 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the Community Shield being one of the highlights of his pre-season.
Kane, meanwhile, has picked up from where he left off last campaign. He has looked sharp in the pre-season and scored five goals during this period. His influence on Tottenham is not just restricted to getting on the scoresheet, as he is heavily involved in the build-up play as well.
Neville has tipped Kane to outscore Haaland as the former defender is certain about the Spurs talisman’s output, unlike the case with the Norwegian. The ex-England international has suggested that the Citizens ace’s tally could differ based on how he adapts to the new surroundings at Etihad.
Speaking on The Overlap YouTube channel, Neville said: “Kane [will score more than Haaland]. I’m just more sure of it, I’m more sure Harry Kane will hit a specific number. I’m not sure what Haaland will do – it could be 40, it could be 18 or 20, I just don’t know.”
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Looking at the stats from the previous PL campaign, the north London club generated 84 big chances compared to the Manchester outfit’s 87 (Premier League), which is a lot closer than what one would have thought. This tally is inclusive of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure, so it can be argued that the numbers would have shifted in our favour if Conte had managed throughout that season.
In such a case, Neville’s expectation for Kane to outscore Haaland is certainly reasonable, especially when the England international was not always at his best last time around, particularly under Espirito Santo. Furthermore, Haaland could also take some time to get used to Pep Guardiola’s methods, which could result in him struggling to an extent.
Hence, Kane has the upper hand in the goalscoring race, which aligns with what we have seen in the pre-season so far. That being said, Haaland cannot be underestimated, as the 22-year-old is widely recognised as one of the generational talents of this decade.
Kane would undoubtedly have a stern challenge in hand if the 28-year-old hopes to get the better of Haaland in the top-scorer chart. Even if the Tottenham ace fails to outscore the former Borussia Dortmund man, one would expect him to have more influence, considering how he is more well-rounded than his rival.